BASF Awards Emerson Contract To Modernize Automation Software

By Chemical Processing Staff

May 24, 2019

BASF production facility in Lampertheim, Germany

BASF awards Emerson a multi-million dollar contract to modernize automation software and controllers at its specialty chemical production facility in Lampertheim, Germany, according to Emerson. The enhancements will reportedly help the world’s largest chemical manufacturer increase production flexibility and enhance operations.

As the European chemical industry faces increasing market competition from outside Europe, flexible and cost-competitive development methodologies and production technologies are needed to ensure success, says research by DECHEMA Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie e.V. (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology). BASF is making a significant investment to modernize plant automation as part of its effort to sustain market leadership, according to Emerson.

BASF will implement Emerson’s new hybrid automation offering that replaces existing programmable logic controllers (PLCs), used to control 20 reactors, with Emerson’s DeltaV PK Controller. The new hybrid technology integrates into BASF’s existing DeltaV automation system, which will reduce the cost, time and complexity of modernizing the automation system; minimize start-up time for new production batches; and make switching production easier, according to Emerson.

Emerson will also replace an obsolete system controlling the tank farm and distillation columns at the BASF facility, which produces additives that improve characteristics for plastics and coatings. The expansion of Emerson’s DeltaV distributed control system, which is already used to control other parts of the plant, will ensure continued efficient production and enable BASF to standardize its control architecture, helping to reduce integration complexity and operator training costs, according to Emerson.

A key part of the project is to expand automation security protections. This advanced technology, developed with Emerson to address cybersecurity threats, has been applied at other BASF manufacturing plants. By modernizing its automation systems, BASF can take advantage of new capabilities embedded in Emerson’s automation systems that help fortify plant operations against cyber threats.

Emerson will also provide approximately 8,000 hours of on-site engineering services, a separate virtualized system to reduce hardware capital and operating costs and lifecycle support services.